Tears for the Dead
by Lady Red 88
Summary: Uchiha Itachi was defeated by his brother 3 months ago. Sasuke is now a member of Akatsuki. The Uchiha Massacre didn't occur due to previous reasons believed. All facts. Riddle: Is the man Kakashi encounters in Ransawa Village actually Itachi? HIATUS
1. Prologue

_**SPOILER ALERT!**_

_**Before you continue you, please be aware that this story begins following Vol. 51, Ch. 480. This is the latest chapter of the manga as of January 27th, 2010. Sasuke has just defeated Danzo by stabbing him through Karin. Sakura, Kiba, Lee and Sai are en-route to assassinate Sasuke. Kakashi, guided by one of Sai's ink-clones, is pursuing Sakura. Kakashi has asked Yamato to go back to Konoha and take Naruto with him. He will deal with Sakura himself.**_

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**Prologue:**

_Summer – 3 months before the Kyuubi Attack. _

It was here. He could feel it, practically see it in his mind's eye.

It's been a long time since he'd last laid eyes on it. The beast was probably bigger than he remembered; if it had even grown at all.

Uchiha Madara had to hand it to the King of the Tailed Demons; it'd done an excellent job of hiding itself. Standing on the rocky plateau, he looked out over the deep valley and sheltered bay the Kyuubi had hidden itself in. Located on a remote, rocky island off the coast of Lightning Country, it was almost as isolated as you could get from the rest of the Hidden Countries. No wonder it had taken him nearly ten years to track it down.

He couldn't see the legendary nine-tailed fox but he knew it was aware of his presence. Leaping down a few hundred metres, Madara almost reached the beach where the waves gently lapped against the shoreline before the beast revealed itself. It emerged from around the other side of the headland, the waves hissing as they crashed against the Kyuubi's chakra coated legs. The depth hardly bothered it and with only a few steps, it stood before Madara, lips pulled back in a snarl as it towered over him.

Madara halted and watched it, careful not to let it get within range. The Kyuubi was somewhat more docile than many of the other tailed beasts but it was by far the most deadly and had the worst temper. The only reason it could be considered docile was that it generally kept to itself and disliked the company of other creatures. It went out of its way to be left alone.

"Mortal, why have you come here?" asked the Kyuubi. Its chakra flared as the Kyuubi made its anger at the intrusion felt. Madara wasn't worried by the action though. The Kyuubi had no idea exactly who it was dealing with. But it would soon, it definitely would.

"To speak with you," answered Madara.

The Kyuubi glared distastefully down at him. "I do not speak with mortals, human. Be gone from this place before I decide to rid the world of your existence."

Madara smirked and looked upon the demon confidently. Let the beast say what it will. He would triumph here today.

"You will speak with me," announced Madara.

The great fox's ears flattened angrily at Madara's statement. "Do not try my patience!" it snarled.

Madara ignored the threat. It could not hurt him. "You have two choices Kyuubi," he said to it. "Either you do a favour I have in mind or I will make you."

The beast, if it could be said, sneered at him. "A foolish thing to say to me mortal. I will burn your body and grind your bones to dust for your impertinence."

"So that's a no then?" replied Madara. His eyes, already activated with his Sharingan to watch the beast, shifted to their eternal form.

The Kyuubi noticed the change and snarled. It had seen threatening eyes before and it knew the Mangekyo Sharingan would be a powerful weapon for the mortal before it.

"Do not even think to try it mortal!" it growled. "My flames will consume you in an instant."

The Kyuubi however, did not know it was already too late. The minute Madara activated his Mangekyo Sharingan he set to work bending its will to his. By the time Kyuubi realised the danger, it was already under Madara's sway. The demon screamed and howled with rage within its mind but its body would not move, no matter how hard it tried.

Slowly its struggles died down and it glared at Madara with such hate and rage within its gaze that he knew it would never stop hunting him after this. He was not afraid though. The beast could try but it would never succeed.

"Now Kyuubi," said Madara, moving forward boldly. "Let's discuss this favour again, shall we?"

0-0-0-0-0-0

_Spring – 3 ½ years later. _

Squealing in delight, three-year-old Uchiha Sasuke ran as fast as his short legs could carry him. Trying not to laugh and spoil the game, his mother, Mikoto, pursued her son, growling like the wicked beast she was pretending to be.

"Run little Sasu-chan! Run! You can't get away from me!" she called after her Sasuke.

It was rare that such fun and games occurred in the Uchiha household but Mikoto made time when she could. Most days she saw to the running of the household. She was far too busy to play with her youngest son and unfortunately Fugaku didn't really approve of her games. That wasn't to say he disapproved of them because he thought them inappropriate for a member of the Uchiha Clan but because when it came down to it, unfortunately Mikoto had married a rather dull man. Fugaku was loyal, determined and hard working – not to mention talented as a shinobi and policeman but he was not anything more. She loved her husband but sometimes Mikoto wished Fugaku would just lighten up a little.

Noticing the doorway leading out to the family's private gardens, Sasuke made for it quickly. He burst out onto the porch, confident he would escape the monster's (ahem – his mother's) grasp only to come crashing to a halt.

Mikoto arrived on the scene just as her youngest son crashed into the legs of her older one. Sasuke fell back onto the deck with a loud "oof!" Itachi, whose arms were loaded down with scrolls, stumbled and dropped the scrolls everywhere.

Her eldest son would be eight in a few weeks and he was already becoming a talented shinobi but in many ways, Itachi was still very much a child.

"Sasuke! Look what you did!" cried Itachi, dismayed by the mess. Several scrolls had rolled off the porch and into the damp flowerbed.

Sasuke took one look at his big brother's face and burst into tears. Mikoto sighed. So much for that.

"Itachi! Don't speak to your brother like that," scolded Mikoto gently but firmly.

"He started it!" complained Itachi as he began picking up his scrolls.

"And I'll finish it," threatened Mikoto.

Sasuke's sobs had already turned to sniffles by now as Mikoto helped her son up. "And Sasuke-chan, I think you owe Itachi an apology."

Sasuke turned tear-filled eyes upon her but it did him no good. Mikoto had gotten that exact same look from her little sister many times and Itachi too when he'd been about the same age. She was well and truly immune to it.

"Sasuke," she prodded.

"But - "

"No excuses young man."

The three year old sniffled and finally mumbled, "sorry nii-san."

Itachi glared and with a huff, marched past his mother and brother and into the house.

Sasuke watched him go and then looked uncertainly up at his mother. Mikoto sighed. Itachi meant so much to Sasuke. They were closer than most brothers were but all the same, they still had the occasional spat. Thankfully they were getting rarer the older the boys got.

"Never mind Itachi Sasu-chan," said Mikoto as she scooped her son up into her arms. "How about we go to the park instead?"

Like any child, the momentary argument was immediately forgotten at the prospect of having some fun. "Really?" asked Sasuke.

"Really," replied Mikoto, smiling warmly. Sasuke grinned in response and wriggled, a signal that he wanted to be put down. With a laugh, Mikoto complied and set her son on the ground. No sooner had his feet touched the wooden floorboards that Sasuke took off. He was fast, especially for his age Mikoto noted. His speed would be even better than his clever brother's when he was older she reflected.

"Hurry up Kaa-san!" shouted Sasuke who had already reached the side-gate by now.

"I'm coming!" called Mikoto as she followed her son. Before she could reach Sasuke however, the gate open and a familiar boy stepped through.

"Shishi!" cried Sasuke as his cousin entered the garden.

"Hey Sasuke!" grinned Shishi. He ruffled his little cousin's already messy hair. "What are you doing?"

"We're going to the park," beamed Sasuke, pushing his cousin's hand away impatiently.

"Oh? Sounds like fun," replied Shishi. "Hi Aunty Mikoto."

"Hello Shishi," answered Mikoto politely. She liked Shishi. He was two years older than her eldest son and he'd been a good influence over the years on Itachi who felt somewhat obligated to perform well for his father. Shishi was the one who dragged Itachi away to just be a kid and Mikoto could see how good it was for him.

"What brings you here today?" she asked.

Shishi beamed. "You'll never guess what."

"Oh? What?" asked Mikoto, amused by the pure glee on Shishi's face.

"I got accepted into a special branch of ANBU! It's going to train genin and kids still in the academy to go straight into ANBU."

"Really?" asked Mikoto, surprised by the news and a little alarmed. ANBU was the elite of the elite and certainly no place for a child, especially not a child like Shishi. She could not even begin to see the light-hearted boy before her taking on such a roll.

"Congratulations Shishi," she told her nephew aloud.

"Thanks!" he beamed. "Well I'm off to see Itachi so I can tell him. He'll be so jealous."

"Alright then, you have fun," said Mikoto. "Oh and Shishi?"

"Yeah?" asked the boy, halting in his tracks.

"What's the branch called?" asked Mikoto.

"ROOT," replied Shishi. "See ya Aunty Mikoto! Bye Sasuke!"

He waved to them and then turned and headed towards the house.

"By Shishi!" called Sasuke and then turned and raced out the open gate. "Come on Kaa-san!"

"I'm coming!" called Mikoto.

She followed her son at a more sedate pace, her thoughts whirling around what she'd just learned. 'Root?' she mused to herself. 'I've heard of that. I'd best speak to Fugaku about it.'

0-0-0-0-0-0

_Winter – 8 years after the Kyuubi Attack. _

Glancing curiously after his departing squad mates, 13 year old Uchiha Itachi wondered why they were being dismissed and he wasn't. What could the Third Hokage possibly want to talk to him about? He hadn't been the captain of the squad on the mission, in fact he'd barely had to do anything at all – a rarity on A-ranked missions like the one he'd just been on.

He turned back to look at the Third as the old man made his way around the side of his wide desk and sat down behind it. The Hokage interlaced his fingers, rested his chin atop them and then he fixed a penetrating stare upon Itachi. With such a serious gaze directed at him, Itachi felt himself involuntarily tensing. Something was wrong, something had happened while he had been away.

Itachi felt his heart rate speed up and his hands became slick with sweat. A million different scenarios flashed through his mind. Questions burned on the tip of his tongue but he knew better than to speak. Whatever the Third had to say, he would say it before long and with a lump of cold dread sitting in the bottom of his stomach, Itachi knew with absolute certainty he did not want to hear what was to come.

The Third Hokage stared at him for several moments, taking in the form of the young boy before him who'd already accomplished so much. Itachi was slightly above average in height for his age and the small lines already beginning to ingrain themselves in his face made him appear older than he really was. The Third however, knew no shinobi was completely without emotion and what he had to say would turn this boy's world upside down. For all his appearance, he was still only thirteen.

Finally, after a long stretch of silence, the Third Hokage sighed. It was a long, wretched sound which almost made Itachi snap out a question ... almost.

"Gomen, Itachi-san."

And Itachi's life as he knew it ended.

0-0-0-0-0-0

_Autumn - 15 years after the Kyuubi Attack. _

His subconscious writhing in protest, Itachi jerked into wakefulness. He panted deeply, trying to return his heart rate to normal as he lay in his bedroll beside the dead fire. He wasn't 13 anymore and what he'd learned that night had been a long time ago. He thought he'd forgotten the heart shattering shock he'd suffered that day.

With a heavy sigh, Itachi rested his sweaty forehead against the palm of his hand. His partner, who was on watch, peered at Itachi through the gloom. Itachi could see Kisame's curious expression from out of the corner of his eye. The tall Mist shinobi was seated on an old log with the beast he called a sword resting across his lap. Only by the faint moonlight from above could Itachi make out his outline and the gleam of his strange, fish-like eyes. Of course, the Sharingan would allow perfect clarity but Itachi was disinclined to use it these days unless absolutely necessary. He'd noticed the growing darkness at the edge of his vision over the past year and though he had not admitted it out loud, he was frightened of losing his sight. A shinobi of his calibre hardly needed it but he'd come to rely on his Sharingan and it was a part of who he was. An Uchiha was defined by his Sharingan, he'd never forgotten that and he could admit to himself that he'd come to pride his ability.

"Nightmare Itachi-san?" asked Kisame. He grinned, revealing razor sharp teeth. It was no secret between them that Itachi didn't like Kisame. He found his personality generally tolerable but the Mist nin's thirst for blood and death was something Itachi could not condone. Kisame however, didn't know that. He simply assumed Itachi just didn't like him in general and Itachi was not inclined to correct that assumption. It suited him well that Kisame knew little to nothing of his true thoughts and feelings.

"Memories," replied Itachi softly to Kisame's question.

The exiled Mist shinobi chuckled at his response, apparently amused. "Seems you're not so perfect after all Itachi-san."

Itachi turned his face to look at his undesired partner in this whole mess and glared bluntly. "I am just as human as you Kisame," he replied tonelessly. "Even I am prone to the occasional restless dream."

"Restless?" asked Kisame sceptically. "Whatever you say Itachi-san."

Itachi didn't deign to answer and lay back down on his bedroll instead. They were somewhere in the south of the Fire Country. Not the world's safest place to be for him but better then the Land of Wind where the Sand shinobi were searching for them quite earnestly at the moment. They'd been sighted unfortunately and the Kazekage wanted their heads delivered to him on a silver platter. He knew what Akatsuki wanted from him and he'd sooner destroy his own village than allow Akatsuki to get a clear shot at him. Gaara of the Sand was right to be cautious Itachi mused. They'd been in Wind Country scouting for that exact reason. It would only be another few months and Sasori and Deidra would be sent to capture the host of the first of the nine tailed demons.

Thoughts of the mission had been all that had occupied his mind in recent weeks but for the first time in a while, Itachi found his thoughts returning to Konoha as he lay in his bedroll. Itachi knew Sasuke wasn't in Konoha and that troubled him. He remembered what Orochimaru was like and the Sannin would be merciless when it came to training. Sasuke would either get stronger under his tutelage or he would die. No matter how much older he seemed to get or how much time had passed since he'd last seen Sasuke, Itachi found it did not get any easier to stop worrying about his little brother.

It was so hard to keep up the facade sometimes – to act like the shinobi who had completely destroyed his heart. Itachi had never thought he'd get this far. He had no friends and he had no allies. The whole world was out for his blood and not even Akatsuki would protect him from that fate. Sometimes Itachi wondered why he'd even become a shinobi. At first it had been his own desire and then later a desire to make his father proud. After that, it'd become a duty, something he no longer had interest in or reason for doing. He'd found a reason though and that reason had been to protect his little brother.

Sasuke was everything to him, as only a little brother could be. He was all Itachi had left and he was the reason Itachi got up every morning and risked his life as a shinobi. It was frightening what he knew he'd do for Sasuke; especially what he would do soon. Things were slowly drawing to a head. He only had six months at best to perfect his jutsu and find a solid, defensive location. That was not a lot of time but Itachi would do it or die trying. He had one final hand to play in this game and then the rest would be up to those he left behind. He only hoped it would be enough.


	2. A Meeting in Ransawa village

**Author's Note:** Hey all. I've written a Prologue which is before Chapter 1 so you'll need to click back one to read it. I didn't think I'd need it but then I changed my mind.

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**Chapter 1 **

**A Meeting in Ransawa Village**

It'd been a long summer in Fire Country. A _very _long summer. Apparently it'd been much colder up in the high country though, snowing even or so it was said by travellers passing through Ransawa Village.

The villagers though, were unconcerned by any sort of weather over a day's walk from Ransawa. Many of them did not travel outside the village and those that did, never went far. Positioned deep in a valley in the east of Fire Country, Ransawa village was perfectly situated. Mountains protected them to the North, West and South and to the East only lay the open water of the ocean. It stood to reason Water Country might invade the Land of Fire through their village but it was unlikely. The region was simply too mountainous and there were other, more strategic places along Fire country's coast line to capture and make use of as a port. Wave Country (unfortunately for them), was two days walk south and was a much more ideal location.

Consequently, the village for the most part was left entirely alone. It was rare to see shinobi in the village more than three or four times in an entire lifetime. To the village, they were almost a fairytale, something you told children to either awe them or encourage them to behave.

Despite their relative peace, the village's population was only small. Occasionally families grew tired of the isolation and left so the population had always remained around approximately 2000 people. It seemed like a large number to some but every villager could claim to know every single person in the village.

The loud buzzing whine of cicadas filled the air around the village that summer. Their numbers were particularly high but that wasn't really unusual. Located higher up on the valley hillside, there was an old house. It was small and almost completely surrounded by the thick tree growth that grew on the mountain side. Only a thin, winding path that cut through the undergrowth connected this particular house with Ransawa Village.

A single man lived in this house and he was young and quiet. The villages did not see him all that often though he had lived in the house almost a month and a half now. He had not yet acquired a job and he never went out of his way to befriend anyone. Perhaps the villages could be forgiven for their ignorance because this young man was not like anything that had come to the village before, even his own kind.

In contrast to the quiet young man however, there were plenty of other loud young men in the village. Hijikata Renji was a perfect example of the common Ransawa Village youth. He worked hard during the day, pulling his weight as a protector of the village. Despite Ransawa's isolation, the village was still prone to harassment from bandits and mercenaries.

Most nights he went to one of the village inns to drink and occasionally gamble with his friends. Renji however, generally kept to himself but when the young man had come to the village, something had drawn him to the other's side. He didn't know exactly what it was but he found himself often abandoning his fellow villagers to go and visit the young man. Not that much of anything was ever said. He was usually invited in, he drank, he talked and then he left, all without hearing more than a few soft words from the other who called himself Ichiro which meant 'first son' and was almost certainly not his real name.

Though he had never admitted it to Renji, Ichiro didn't mind Renji's company ... occasionally. His own was rather dull in comparison. At this particular point in time however, it was mid afternoon and Ichiro was starving. He'd gotten carried away fixing the back wall and completely forgotten the time. It was well past lunch and he hadn't been shopping in awhile. He had a feeling however, that his cupboards were well and truly empty.

He went into the kitchen and checked the top cupboard but found only a few left over jars of jam and other spreads. He stooped down and opened the cupboards under the sink. Nothing. He banged them shut irritably. There was only one place left to search so he made his way into the next room where a spare cupboard rested against the far wall. It'd been filled long ago when he had first moved into the place with a small emergency stash of supplies. He knew very well he wouldn't find his favourite brand of packet pasta in there but he went to look anyway, some stupid hope in the back of his mind that he'd put some in there.

Unfortunately for him, his superior mind was right. There was no sign of his pasta. Only the regular supplies were there and three large bottles of sake he kept in case Renji showed up on his doorstep – which was unfortunately becoming more frequent then he'd like.

Hi sighed and flicked a few loose strands of hair back over his shoulder as he turned away from the cupboard.

Damn.

This meant he'd have to go shopping. This also meant he'd have to deal with people; his least favourite activity.

Mentally grumbling, he slouched back into the kitchen. There was an old hair tie lying on the counter, looking like one last tug would finally snap it. He picked it up and pulled his hair back into a loose plait. Not the most stylish of looks but it'd do for now. He was seriously considering cutting off the mid-back length mass of raven strands. He'd always found his hair to be hot and bothersome but the thought of the way it would stick up at the back stayed his hand. Alright, he didn't mind it _that _much.

His money pouch was already in his pocket. He glanced one last time around the room and then, certain everything was in order, Uchiha Itachi opened his front door and stepped out into the bright summer sunshine.

0-0-0-0-0-0

When he'd been a child and after his father had died, Hatake Kakashi had walked around with a face that looked like he was permanently pissed off with the world and he had been. His father, once a hero had become a disgrace and though Kakashi was talented, he'd been saddled with a team he loathed. Minato-sensei could be tolerated but even if Rin thought she hid it well, Kakashi had hated it that she loved him so much. And Obito, well, he wasn't even worth the space he took up.

Of course, then things had changed and Obito had become a hero, just like Kakashi's father. Kakashi had never worn that pissed off look again. It'd hardly seemed worth the effort. Life had never been fair to him but Obito had taught him something very important and finally Kakashi had accepted all the wrong he'd been dealt in his short life.

As an adult he was late to almost everything, he read porn and he went out of his way to annoy certain people purely on the occasional whim. Those were the three ways he thought best that he could pay tribute to Obito and those he had lost. Minato-sensei would probably be extremely embarrassed if he ever knew that Kakashi knew about his sensei's little obsession with Jiriya's books - which he had always insisted were filthy rubbish and he would never read something like that! Uh huh, _sure _Ero Minato-sensei.

But nothing, _nothing_ had ever been as bad as the last few weeks he'd had. Konoha had been destroyed, completely levelled. He'd been killed, KILLED! If only for a moment but it'd been a frightening wake-up call to many things he'd ignored in recent years, including his own skills. One of his student's was a traitor who now had a price on his head, another loved that traitor so badly she was prepared to kill him herself and the last one was having a panic attack because for the first time in his life, Uzumaki Naruto did not know how to fix everything. Did he mention that Gaara, Suna's Kazekage had appointed him acting Hokage for the time being? Well he had and Kakashi's expression was so ferocious as he walked through the busy market place that a wide circle had opened around him. Forget his childhood; Kakashi had never been more pissed off in his entire life.

He approached a market stand selling fish, snapped out his order and slapped some coins down on the counter. The merchant, a squat fellow with a terrible squint almost tripped over himself to fill the order as the scowling shinobi waited for him. The merchant wrapped the fish in wet paper and almost flung the order at Kakashi. He scooped up the coins and scrabbled for the correct change in his money pouch. Kakashi held out his hand impatiently for the coins and once the merchant finally dropped a few coins into his hand, Kakashi closed his fist immediately, turned and marched onwards to his next destination.

He'd arrived in this village around mid afternoon. Kakashi actually hadn't bothered to find out the name of the village. It was just one of many he'd mentally mapped over the years. Sakura, Sai, Kiba and Lee were also in the village but Kakashi had decided he'd keep his distance for now. What had occurred between Sakura and Naruto would still be too raw. Sakura wouldn't want to talk to anyone right now. She was still probably scheming about how to get away from the other three, something Kakashi had warned Sai to be on guard for at all times. He knew Sakura; there was no way she was going off to kill Sasuke because she loved him _that _much. The idea was ludicrous. Kakashi wasn't a fool: he knew his student's true goal was to join Sasuke. If she couldn't force him to come back and if she couldn't kill him, then she had no alternative left except to join him. And Kakashi certainly wasn't going to let that happen.

He was staying at a nearby inn after Sai had informed him earlier that morning via an ink clone exactly what Team Sakura were planning to do for the next few days.

Sasuke and the remnants of Akatsuki (their members were dropping like flies) had disappeared, leaving only blood and a good amount of damage to the surrounding area to be found a week ago. Since then, there had been nothing. Madara was to cunning to be found and he'd been around long enough to have hundreds of hideouts. Until Sasuke surfaced, they'd never find either of them. Only Kiba and Akamaru with their keen sense of smell stood a chance of picking anything up.

It grated that they couldn't find them. Kakashi wanted to return to Konoha and begin trying to sought out this whole mess that was shaping up to be a worse war than the previous three combined. Sasuke however, _needed_ to be dealt with.

In the past, Kakashi had always tolerated other people's actions and let them go without comment. He'd never particularly liked interfering in business outside of his own and though he'd been inwardly disappointed and disgruntled over Sasuke's leaving, he hadn't done anything about it. He'd left all the worrying and planning up to his other two students. He figured eventually Sasuke would come back, for one reason or another.

But Sasuke hadn't and Kakashi couldn't figure out why.

Family was the most important thing in the world to Sasuke and remembering his student's desire to revive his clan some day, Kakashi assumed nothing could keep Sasuke from returning to Konoha to begin the restoration of all he'd lost.

Madara however, that old bastard of a fossil, had gone and thrown a spanner in the works. Could what he have said been true? Did Konoha really order the elimination of the entire Uchiha Clan? Kakashi doubted it, _seriously_ doubted it. More than anything, the village guarded its jutsus and secrets almost jealously. There was no way they'd allow the loss of one of its most powerful blood line limits, let allow give orders for the Sharingan to be eradicated themselves.

And what part did Danzo play in all of this? What was really the truth of the Uchiha Massacre? So many questions and too many dead people. The Third may have known what really happened and Uchiha Itachi certainly knew but both of them were dead. It wouldn't surprise Kakashi if Danzo was dead to. Pakkun had said the battle ground reeked of the old coot's blood and the female shinobi known only as 'Karin' that was a member of Team Taki. She was most likely dead to – yet another destroyed lead then.

Kakashi gritted his teeth, annoyed with his thoughts. He really wanted sake right now. _Really _wanted it. He didn't have the world's best tolerance for alcohol but at this point in time, he was wound tighter than a steel trap. Something to help him relax would definitely be advisable.

A bowl slipped out of a waiter's hand and smashed on the floor of a nearby restaurant and Kakashi jumped so badly he almost dropped his fish. Yes, sake was _**definitely**_ advisable.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"_Aniki?" _

"_Hai Sasuke?" _

"_Otou-san says you'll be head of the clan one day, just like him." _

"_Hai." _

"_And you'll get to wear Otou-san's nice robes and that scarf right?" _

"_Hai Sasuke." _

"_Will you let me wear them sometimes?" _

"_Maybe...Do you want to be clan head Sasuke?" _

"_Me?" _

"_Ah." _

"_Ha ha! Why would I aniki? I'd look silly." _

"_What about being Police Chief?" _

"_That's different. I won't let you beat me aniki! I'm going to be Police Chief and you'll be Uchiha-sama!" _

"_Oh?" _

"_Just watch me aniki! I won't let you beat me. I'm going to be the best Police Chief Konoha's ever had." _

"_Well then Sasuke, I think - "_

"Ichiro-san?"

"Gomen?"

Itachi blinked; he wasn't in the back yard with Sasuke. It was hot and humid and he was staring into space in the middle of the supermarket in Ransawa Village while the cashier rang up his groceries.

"Your groceries, Ichiro-san," said the cashier, gesturing to his goods which she'd carefully rung up and then placed in a cardboard box for him.

"Ah, arigato," said Itachi. He counted out the correct change, handed it over and then picked up his box.

"See you again, Ichiro-san?"

"Hai," replied Itachi. He dipped his head politely and stepped out onto the street.

Sasuke...

Itachi wondered what his little brother was doing now. He should be safe, he'd thought of everything, hadn't he?

He thought about Sasuke a lot these days. There was little to do except think about the past. Sasuke would be sixteen in another month. It wasn't far off. What was Sasuke doing now? Was he happy? At peace with himself? Did he still want to be the Police Chief of Konoha? Itachi hoped so. Sasuke would make a good Chief. He had the spirit for it and he worked hard.

Wrapped up in his musings, Itachi paid little attention to his surroundings. Instincts learned through sweat, blood and tears as a shinobi prevented him from accidently bumping into anyone and he trusted in them to be enough. He was no longer a shinobi now, in fact he was believed to be dead and that was exactly the way he had planned it. He'd come to Ransawa Village, exhausted but successful and moved into the old house he'd scouted out months beforehand. He'd burned the Akatsuki cloak and packed the rest of his shinobi gear away, along with the Akatsuki ring. Unfortunately not even his black flames could burn that ring.

He bought himself new clothes (several plain men's kimonos and a few pairs of dark coloured pants), changed his name and had not activated his Sharingan once, not even when the nightmares closed in during the dead of night and frightened him into wakefulness.

He kept his head down and stayed out of trouble. He wore one pouch of weapons only which contained three kunai and two dozen shuriken and he had yet to have cause to use them. Life was good, if a little lonely and he was careful.

But today of all days, Uchiha Itachi was not careful enough.

THUMP!

Itachi stumbled backwards, losing his grip on his box of groceries. He'd walked around a corner, not paying attention to where he was going and walked into someone else, who'd also probably not been paying attention.

His box crashed to the ground and items clattered out in all directions. A package from the stranger landed with a 'flop' atop the whole mess. Irritated and dismayed all at once, Itachi glanced up, mouth open to apologise and froze.

Weapons pouch, green flak jacket, Konoha forehead protector: Shinobi.

Lanky frame, silver hair, black face mask, wide single eye: Hatake Kakashi.

Shit.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Kakashi stared, his mind blank.

Uchiha Itachi, a very _alive_ Uchiha Itachi wearing a grass green kimono, no forehead protector, no visible weapons and his hair in a loose plait over his shoulder with a ratty red hair tie holding it together at the end.

One heartbeat.

Two heartbeats.

Three –

Itachi bolted. He turned on heal and streaked away down the street like a fleeing cat.

One heartbeat.

Two –

Kakashi gave chase.

Down the street they ran, personal items forgotten in the dusty dirt behind them. Itachi weaved, dodged and whatever didn't move out of his way, he shoved.

Likewise, Kakashi did the same. There wasn't time for thought, only action. The eldest Uchiha brother was dead, that was certain but then what cause did this ghost of that same man have to flee the moment he clapped eyes on him? Kakashi didn't know, couldn't even form a coherent thought at this point in time but he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, he absolutely must catch this ghost – real or otherwise.

Itachi did not turn back to look at him as he ran. He did not throw weapons nor did he perform any jutsu. He only used chakra, siphoning it into his legs as he ran to push himself faster but Kakashi matched him step for step. The Chidori took a frightening amount of speed to perform. Itachi would need to be a lot quicker to get away from him.

Itachi shoved through a group of youths, skittered around a dog, nimbly hurdled over the bench counter of a market stand and ducked into a side ally. Kakashi followed, using a wall and a large chunk of chakra to propel him cleanly over the whole lot. He landed lightly, fell into a roll and came up running again. He ducked into the ally just in time to see the lower half of Itachi's body disappear onto the roof, two stories up.

Determined, Kakashi ran straight up the wall, using his chakra to stick to the stony surface. He cleared the edge of the roof and raced forward. Itachi was only a few meters ahead now when suddenly, out of nowhere, a cat streaked across his path. The creature had been frightened by all the sudden movement from where it had been lazing in the sunshine and it now made straight for an open skylight.

Itachi did not see the tabby cat and tripped right over it. He crashed hard onto the ground, tried to recover his feet but was forced down as Kakashi leapt on top of him. Kakashi pressed his knee squarely into Itachi's back, caught his right arm and yanked it around and pressed it against his upper back, well out of reach of any weapons.

Both shinobi stilled for a moment, panting from the arduous run. Kakashi knew it should not have been this easy. There was no way he should have caught Itachi – if this really was him. But as he sat and caught his breath he became aware that there was something wrong with his captive's breathing. Itachi was trying to hide it but his breath was hitching slightly, a common sign of distress.

There was definitely something wrong here. Everything was wrong with this picture before him.

"Who are you?"

Silence.

"Who are you?" Kakashi twisted Itachi's wrist lightly. It wasn't enough to hurt him overly but the warning could be felt. "I asked who you are!"

Itachi grunted and shifted a little. The right side of his face was pressed against the roof top. His left eye, dark and with no sign of the Sharingan, swivelled to the corner of his eye to look up at Kakashi.

"Ichiro," he answered.

Kakashi glared. That was perhaps the worst lie he'd heard in quite some time. Itachi's pulse did not fluctuate beneath Kakashi's fingers but the soft sarcasm lacing the edges of the name and its obvious meaning told Kakashi exactly who this person beneath him was.

"Uchiha Itachi," he stated.

Itachi glared back and Kakashi knew he was right. This really was Uchiha Itachi, a man that was supposably dead, killed by his own brother, the same brother that achieved the Mangekyo Sharingan because of his death. They stared at one another for several long moments. Abruptly Itachi jerked in his grip.

"Get off," he growled.

Kakashi frowned. "Unlikely."

"I said get off!" repeated Itachi.

It was not necessarily a shout but Itachi had never been known to come even close to shouting before. His captive's breathing was growing more erratic and though Itachi's expression appeared calm, his eyes were a little too wide to be natural. Uchiha Itachi was struggling not to let Kakashi see how distressed he was by his predicament.

"Itachi," murmured Kakashi, voice gentle but firm. The tone seemed to do the trick and Itachi calmed down a little, his breathing evening out to sound less labored. "Last I heard, you were dead," said Kakashi.

"Effectively," bit out Itachi.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Explain."

His captive remained silent. Kakashi frowned.

"You know, you're an S-class missing nin, whether you're alive or 'dead'."

"So then take me back to Konoha. Do your duty. Isn't that what you're supposed to do?"

Bewildered, Kakashi simply gave Itachi a long stare. None of this was making any sense. Firstly, Itachi was supposed to be dead. Secondly, the real Itachi would never have been caught so easily and thirdly, the Itachi he recalled was almost the perfect example of the ideal shinobi. This slightly emotional Itachi he had caught was nothing like the Itachi he remembered.

He was however, a human all the same and his slight lapse in his usual behaviour would explain the second inconsistency. A stressed shinobi often made mistakes and didn't think fluidly. In that kind of situation they rarely, if ever, escaped a pursuer if they were close to the same level or higher than themselves.

Kakashi decided to try a different tack.

"What's wrong?"

Itachi twisted slightly and raised his head to get a better view of Kakashi.

"Wrong?" he repeated. He paused. After a long moment he finally said, "nothing."

"I caught you. You didn't use any jutsus or your Sharingan to help you escape. You're also hiding it very well but I can tell you're more rattled than you'd usually be," explained Kakashi. "Tell me there isn't anything wrong."

Itachi turned his face away, pressing it against the warm pavement. "Nothing is wrong Hatake Kakashi," he answered, voice muffled. "Please let me go. I haven't done anything."

Kakashi gritted his teeth, feeling frustration beginning to surface. That did it! Enough with the polite tact, it clearly wasn't working – not that Kakashi had expected it to. He leaned forward, pressing his knee fiercely down on Itachi's back. He knew it would hurt. Itachi hissed and wriggled in response.

"Let go Hatake!"

Kakashi ignored Itachi's request. "Tell me what the hell is going on! What are you doing here? Why did you fake your own death?" The questions tumbled quickly out of Kakashi's mouth, one after another. "What is the truth concerning the Uchiha Massacre? What is Madara trying to make - "

But Kakashi got no further. Itachi growled and twisted his body enough that both brilliant red Sharingan eyes were pinned on Kakashi. He knew better than to be caught however in the hellish world of the Tsukuyomi.

Kakashi reared back. Itachi leapt to his feet once he was released only to be caught by a powerful kick to his mid section as Kakashi braced himself with his right hand against the roof top and struck out with his left foot. The blow sent Itachi flying backwards and then with a tremendous crash, his body ploughed into an old shed. The building completely collapsed in upon itself.

With distance now between them and Itachi still recovering from the blow, Kakashi used that time to reveal Obito's eye and close his own. He didn't know if Obito's eye could match Itachi's but it would have to be enough.

He waited with baited breath for whatever would come.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"_Otou-san?" _

"_What is it Itachi?" _

"_Do you have a hobby?" _

"_A hobby? No, I don't." _

"_What about something you like to do, something besides being a shinobi?" _

"_I like spending time with you and your Kaa-san and Sasuke." _

"_But what about something that you like to do just by yourself?" _

"_Why do you want to know? Do you have a hobby Itachi?" _

"_...I like to draw." _

"_Oh? That's not a bad hobby I suppose but you should spend more time training to become the clan head. I won't be around forever you know." _

"_Are you going to die Otou-san?" _

"_One day I will Itachi and it will be your responsibility to look after your brother and your mother when I'm gone." _

"_But you're not going to die soon, are you Otou-san?" _

"_No. I won't for a long time Itachi, not until you're much older." _

"_So what do you like to do in your spare time Otou-san?" _

"_...I like to write poetry." _

The memory slipped away, back into the darkness as Itachi blinked dazedly at the sky above. He'd lost consciousness for a moment there when he'd hit the shed. The building might have looked old and rickety but it was tougher than it appeared and he knew his back would bruise severely where he'd impacted against one of the corner posts.

Slowly Itachi eased himself into a sitting position. A lump of timbre lay across his lap which he shoved off and then he stood up. Several meters away, Hatake regarded him with his Sharingan; the one Itachi knew had been given as a gift by his older cousin Obito.

Itachi didn't remember Obito but from time to time his mother had talked about him. She and Obito's mother had been close and being young and impressionable at the time, Itachi for awhile had wanted to grow up to be just like his older cousin who was a hero and whose name was engraved on the Memorial Stone. That had been a fleeting fancy though, something only his child's mind had been able to indulge in.

Hatake Kakashi, well, Itachi would never have imagined running into him in Ransawa village. He _wasn't_ supposed to run into anyone but here they were: Hatake standing across from him and fully aware that Itachi hadn't died but had planned to fool the world into thinking he had. Hatake might be a law unto himself at times but he would return to Konoha eventually and he would inform the Hokage and the Village Council about Itachi.

This was not supposed to happen, Itachi wasn't prepared for this! He was supposed to spot trouble first and slip away accordingly, not be caught! What would happen if Sasuke found out he was alive again?

He'd leave the village is what would happen and come looking for him again. Itachi could not allow that to happen. Under no circumstances could his little brother be allowed to find out. There was only one thing to do then.

"Gomen, Kakashi-san," he murmured.

Kakashi frowned at his words and adjusted his stance by widening his feet and lowering his upper body. Itachi however, did not attack as Kakashi anticipated. He'd sworn off using all jutsu and chakra. He was just a civilian now. However, he'd already broken the rules of that facade by using his Sharingan. One more jutsu wouldn't hurt.

Itachi formed the correct seal, gathered his chakra and executed it.

0-0-0-0-0-0

The moment Itachi's hands rose and formed into a familiar seal, Kakashi cursed himself. He leapt forward, intent on stopping the elder Uchiha brother but he was already too late. With a soft bang as air rushed to fill the empty space, Itachi vanished in a cloud of smoke. He would not be able to go far with that particular teleportation jutsu but it would be enough.

With a frustrated sigh, Kakashi kicked a small chunk of timbre from the destroyed shed viciously. It bounced across the roof top and clattered to a stop against a low retaining wall running around the very edge of the open roof. He glared at it for several moments, as if willing the piece of the destroyed shed to burst into flame, if only to slake his anger a little. It stubbornly however, did no such thing and with a second, more defeated sigh, Kakashi wandered over the retaining wall where the wood had landed and sat down.

He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. What the hell was going on?

* * *

**Author's Note: **

Well, I should be working on 'Broomsticks and Shuriken' but this idea came out of nowhere and I had to start writing it. Can you tell I'm frustrated with the whole Sasuke issue? I'm looking forward to the day that it finally gets resolved and the Naruto manga can move forward.

This type of fic has not been done before as far as I can find. I've been wanting someone to get it out there for ages but no one has so I went 'oh well, I may as well give it a crack.' Uni always makes it hard for me to write though and it's just starting up again so updates will be very slow. I may even put this fic up for adoption in the end so if you're interested, be sure to let me know about your interest early.

On a final note, this fic is Non-yaoi and any pairings there are will not be the focus of the writing. So all you Uchiha-cest lovers out there – go find another fic. I'm sorry but that doesn't do it for me – in fact it makes me feel a little green just thinking about it. Finally, opinions and **suggestions** in particular for the fic, are very welcome!


	3. Hijikata Renji: Goodbye my Friend

**Chapter Two **

**Hijikata Renji: Goodbye my Friend**

Itachi did not stop running until he reached his house, opened the front and slammed it shut behind him. He leaned against it and panted, feeling the sweat trickle down his face in the oppressive summer heat and his heart thudding against his ribcage.

It was hard to think, hard to focus, so Itachi didn't. He simply breathed: in, out, in, out; one breath after another.

When he finally achieved some simulation of calmness, Itachi groaned to himself and slowly slid down the door until he was sitting in a crouched heap against it. He closed his eyes and pressed the heels of his hands against his eyelids fiercely. What was wrong with him? He'd been a shinobi for as long as he could remember and the moment he stopped officially being one he'd forgotten every little thing he'd ever learned.

Hatake should not have caught him. He shouldn't have even _seen _him to begin with. Over the years Itachi had learned to spot a Leaf shinobi a mile away. You simply couldn't survive as a missing-nin unless you were aware of your surroundings at all times.

What made the whole thing so much worse though was that even though he'd been caught by surprise, Itachi still hadn't been able to pull himself together. He'd fled like some half-trained brat who still attended the Academy. Everything: all the jutsus he knew, the evasion techniques and the fighting skills that he'd almost ingrained into his mind in the process of learning them hadn't even occurred to him.

He'd run and run until he'd tripped over that stupid flee-bitten animal and then he'd been caught and babbled like an idiot before he'd finally gotten together enough sense to get the hell out of there as fast as he could.

What the hell did Hatake think?

He was probably absolutely mystified by the whole puzzling event but Itachi knew Hatake. He knew how the Leaf shinobi's mind worked. Hatake would now be running through his mind everything that had happened and assembling it into some sort of order. He wouldn't forget a single detail and if he learned anything else, Hatake would start putting two and two together and coming up with four. The Leaf shinobi was sharp and thought in ways most other shinobi didn't and that was dangerous to Itachi.

The question was what was he going to do about it? His momentary lapse in personality would cost him; he had little doubt about that fact. He didn't understand why he'd gone to pieces like that. Maybe it was because he had gone into deep hiding for the first time or perhaps it was because Hatake had genuinely surprised him. He really hadn't been expecting to see a ninja in Ransawa village so soon. Either way, his cold persona of the emotionless killer was shot. Hatake would never view him the same way again. He knew Itachi could get scared now, just like everybody else and he could make mistakes too.

Itachi pressed his hands a little harder against his eyelids and clenched his teeth but it was no good. He didn't know what to do about any of it. He couldn't kill Hatake and he didn't want Sasuke to hear about this. But he couldn't tell Hatake anything either. That was out of the question.

Sensing a presence approaching the house, Itachi's head jerked up, his senses stretching out to examine the other being. After a moment though, he recognised his friend, Renji and he relaxed. For a moment he thought it had been Hatake.

However, although he was relieved it wasn't Hatake, he really didn't want to see Renji _right now_ though. Hatake would waste little time looking for him. It wouldn't take long for the Leaf Jounin's nin dogs to track his scent. He had a few hours at best to pack up and move out.

Before Itachi could make any decision though, Renji banged his fist against the same door Itachi was leaning against. Itachi said nothing and after a moment, Renji banged again, this time sounding a little irritated. Renji didn't like having to do anything more than once.

Itachi hesitated. He needed to leave but he liked Renji. He'd grown to appreciate his company. Hatake though, was someone Itachi wanted to avoid at all costs. Itachi had too many secrets, he knew that and Hatake would undoubtedly want answers Itachi couldn't give him.

"Oi! Ichiro! I know you're in there!" yelled Renji through the door. "Ichiro!"

0-0-0-0-0-0

"_Excuse me?" _

_Itachi stared at the group of youths who smirked back. They were probably a year or two older than he was. They couldn't hurt him but there were five of them and only one of him and this was an extremely crowed bar. It seemed it'd been a mistake to come here after all but he'd been bored and perhaps a little lonely. A week didn't sound like a long time but it'd felt like an eternity to Itachi. He'd only just moved into the house at the top of Ransawa Village and already he missed Kisame's company – not that shark-face needed to know that. Kisame was amusing but his taste for war and bloodshed was revolting. No, Itachi didn't miss Kisame __**that**__ much. _

"_I'm sorry," Itachi replied. "But I don't think it's a good idea." _

"_Come on," prodded the speaker for the group. "One little drink won't hurt. Join us." _

"_No thank you," replied Itachi stiffly. Alcohol did things to men. He knew that just as well as anyone else and any half-decent missing nin was always extremely careful about the place and the company in which he chose to get inhibited. _

"_Che, who are you anyway? I haven't seen you around before." _

"_It is customary to give your own name first," pointed out Itachi, irritated by the group of youths. "But if you insist, my name is Ichiro." _

"_Ichiro? That's it?" asked the youth. "No last name? Sounds a bit suspect to me." He glanced at his fellow drinkers and they nodded in agreement. _

_Itachi shrugged lightly. "It is just Ichiro. Leave it at that Takagi-san." _

_The youth blinked at Itachi, surprised. "Hey! How did you know my name?" _

"_I know a lot of things," replied Itachi lightly. "If you must know though, I overheard your friend call you that earlier."_

_Takagi scowled. "You know, I don't really like your attitude Ichiro." _

_Not sure how to respond, Itachi chose to remain silent. _

"_You ought to watch yourself - " _

_But Takagi got no further. A tall man appeared and clapped a heavy hand down on Takagi's shoulder, almost knocking him off his chair. _

"_Oi, oi__ Takagi – cut the guy some slack." _

_After a moment of panicked wobbling, Takagi managed to right himself and turned around to glare at the other man. _

"_Watch it Renji!" he growled. "You almost knocked me off my chair." _

_The said man in question smiled lazily. "Like I would have. Leave the guy alone." _

_Takagi bristled for a moment and finally seemed to deflate with a breathy sigh. "Yeah, yeah, alright." _

_He brushed off Renji's hand, turned around and moodily stared into his beer. _

_Sensing the matter was closed; Itachi saw his chance and quietly slipped away. He left the bar and made his way to a small stand across the road. The comforting aroma of food greeted him as he stepped out of the darkness and into the warm light within the stand. There were four rickety stools lined up in front of a small counter. They were currently all empty so Itachi picked the stool just to the right of centre and sat down. It was only when someone sat down next to him that Itachi realised he had been followed. _

_He looked up and stared at the man beside him. The man named Renji appeared to be completely oblivious to the stare. He simply gazed listlessly ahead, a single unlit cigarette hanging loosely from one corner of his mouth. _

_A little startled, Itachi remained silent. It was the first time anyone had willingly sat next to him in several years. The action was so unfamiliar that it completely froze Itachi for a moment when he realised the significance. _

_Looking at Renji, it was impossible to note anything out of the ordinary. The other man appeared to be like any other normal civilian and hadn't seen anything wrong with sitting next to Itachi. He could not possibly know the significance of the person he sat beside, the true identity that lurked beneath the false persona named 'Ichiro'. _

_Itachi observed him, noting that Renji was half a head taller than he was, with an unruly mop of strawberry blond hair that looked like it hadn't been brushed once in his entire life. His eyelids dropped heavily, almost completely shielding his pale green eyes and giving him a rather listless look. He wore a navy blue gi that hung open at the front to reveal strapped ribs. He didn't appear to carry any weapons and by noting the heavily calloused fists and the armband strapped around his left bicep, it became apparent Renji was one of the protectors of the village. Ransawa only employed a garrison of 50 men but most of them didn't know how to use weapons and relied on their fists to keep trouble out. _

_Eventually realising he was staring (although it was only out the corner of his eye); Itachi redirected his attention away from the man sitting next to him and ordered a bowl of soba from the stall owner. Renji declined when asked a moment later, lit his cigarette and then there was silence, broken only once by the arrival of Itachi's order. _

_Itachi settled for ignoring Renji's presence as he ate but it was difficult. He couldn't fathom why the man had followed him. What could he possibly want? _

_He finished his bowl eventually and gently pushed it away as he stood up. He paid and turned to leave when Renji suddenly spoke. _

"_Hijikata Renji. What's your name kid?" _

_Itachi paused, contemplating whether he should reply or simply leave. _

"…_Ichiro," he answered eventually. _

_Renji smiled, apparently amused by something and stubbed his cigarette on the counter. _

"_Well, guess I'll see you around then, Ichiro-chan." _

_Itachi allowed the slightest downward turn of his lips in disapproval of that particular remark. _

"_I will," he replied and then added, "and I'll be 21 in two weeks." _

"_Huh?" _

_The suave, slightly laid back air Renji had conducted himself with since Itachi had met him abruptly vanished. The man hunched his shoulders and scowled at him. _

"_21? You're joking right? I'm not even 20 yet and you look like a little kid." _

_Itachi glared frostily. He did not look like a child! Most people in fact thought he looked a lot older than what he really was. This was the first time someone had accused him of being a child. _

"_Goodbye Hijikata Renji," he said, turning on heel. _

"_Oi! Wait!" growled Renji, hurriedly running after him. "Wait damn it!" _

_0-0-0-0-0-0 _

Itachi stood and opened the door. Renji wasn't a ninja and he wasn't a friend but for the first time in many years, there was a person standing on his front porch banging on his door to see him and that meant something to Itachi.

It somehow made up for all that he'd sacrificed for Konoha and more and all the lonely days and nights he'd endured since.

"About time," growled Renji as he stalked inside, invited or not. He dumped a grocery bag on the table and continued straight through to the back room. Itachi closed the door as he listened to Renji opening the supply cupboard in the next room and searching for the jugs of sake Itachi kept there.

"What are you making for dinner?" called Renji.

Itachi didn't answer him as he moved over to the table and peaked inside the bag. It was half full of peaches, no doubt picked straight off the tree from Renji's mother's garden. Once Renji's mother had become aware of Itachi she had a habit of bullying her son into taking little bits and pieces to Itachi every time Renji went to see him.

"Man, you're gonna have to buy some better stuff then this," Renji complained as he came back into the main room, eyeing the jug of sake in his hand distastefully. He seemed completely oblivious to the fact that Itachi hadn't answered him as he rattled through Itachi's cupboards, looking for two sake dishes.

Itachi watched him for a moment and then slowly, he heart feeling like lead, he retrieved his battered travel pack from a cupboard and began to pack.

Renji finally found the sake dishes but when he turned around and noticed what Itachi was doing, he paused, watching him. Itachi moved mechanically, collecting bits and pieces: scrolls he'd squirreled away, weapons concealed all over the room, food supplies and all his clothing. He laid it out on the table, ignoring Renji's presence as the man sat down solemnly in one of the chairs. Eventually Renji poured the sake into the two dishes and sat there, watching Itachi as he sorted out what he could and couldn't take. Not all of it would fit in his pack and some of it would have to be left behind. He was grateful that Renji said nothing as he worked. He still wasn't sure exactly what he should say.

"When are you leaving?" asked Renji softly. Itachi halted for a moment as he moved to pick up a kunai set to put in his backpack.

"As soon as I'm done," murmured Itachi, his answer expressionless as he continued his task.

"I see," answered Renji. It was equally as difficult to detect any feeling in Renji's tone of voice as it was his own.

"You coming back?"

"Probably not," replied Itachi. He halted again. A second presence was now outside and this time it was definitely Hatake.

"Well that's alright," said Renji. "I wasn't really expecting you to hang around for long anyway, being what you are and all."

"You knew I was a shinobi?" inquired Itachi as he set down the clothing in his hand. Hatake hadn't advanced any further but he wasn't going to leave.

He looked at Renji who smiled back crookedly at him.

"My pop was a missing nin. I know all about 'em," answered Renji. "He died a long time ago but I know the type anywhere. They're hard to miss once you know."

"How did he die?" asked Itachi, picking up a large windmill shuriken.

Renji laughed softly, a little bitter. "His past caught up with him. He ran pretty far but you can never run far enough."

Thunder rumbled in the distance. Despite the oppressive heat, Itachi could feel the temperature dropping as the storm rolled in from the east, off the ocean, while the sun slid behind the mountains in the west.

"That's true," agreed Itachi. He'd run for much longer than most other missing nins that he knew of but he had never been able to run far enough. "You never can run away."

Renji picked up his sake and drained it ruefully as Itachi shed his green kimono and strapped on his last weapons pouch. Dressed now in a plain black singlet and pants, he was ready. He wasn't going to take Hatake lightly.

He moved to open the door but paused to look back at Renji. The protector watched him, a lazy smile, more like a grimace, tugging at his lips as he sat in the deepening gloom. Itachi hadn't known Renji long but perhaps in a different life, they could have been good friends. In this life though, it was never going to happen.

"Arigato Hijikata Renji. My name is Uchiha Itachi and it was nice to have had you as a friend."

Itachi didn't look back as he opened the door and stepped out to meet his fate.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I was going to write more but I decided I'd leave Kakashi and Itachi's confrontation for the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one and reviews of any kind are most welcome. I love hearing what people have to say so if you manage to get to the end of this chapter, drop me a line and let me know what you think. i'm always looking for advice and constructive criticism. Ja!


End file.
